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Important Updates

April 18, 2017

United States Announces New Security Protocols on Certain Inbound International Flights

The Department of Homeland Security recently announced new security protocols that impact the transport and use of personal and MIT issued electronics taken abroad for research, collaborative, or conference attendance purposes. Direct travel from, or a transfer through, these 10 airports to the United States are impacted by these protocols:

Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) – Amman, Jordan

Cairo International Airport (CAI) – Egypt

Ataturk International Airport (IST) – Istanbul, Turkey

King Abdul-Aziz International Airport (JED) – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

King Khalid International Airport (RUH) – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Kuwait International Airport (KWI) – Kuwait City, Kuwait

Mohammed V Airport (CMN) – Casablanca, Morocco

Hamad International Airport (DOH) – Doha, Qatar

Dubai International Airport (DXB) – United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) – United Arab Emirates

Carriers on these routes include Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Saudia, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad Airways.

Travelers to these destinations will be subject to more stringent security measures. ALL personal electronic devices larger than cell phones (e.g., laptops, tablets, e-readers, cameras), excluding necessary medical devices, may no longer be taken on board as carry-on items. They must be placed in checked luggage. For more information, please see the Department of Homeland Security fact sheet.

The United Kingdom has also issued a similar set of restrictions for inbound direct flights into the U.K. originating from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia.

Individuals traveling with university owned devices or university data on personal devices are advised to:

Consider if electronic devices are necessary for their travel, and leave unnecessary devices behind

Remove all sensitive data and proprietary information from devices that is not pertinent to their travel

Encrypt devices, especially if you must take sensitive or proprietary data

Choose strict passwords for devices and online accounts

Backup all data

Enable remote wiping capabilities, in case your devices is lost or stolen

Ensure that your devices remain fully charged in case you are required to enable it for inspection

Have the device scanned by departmental IT staff or EITS upon return, to detect and remove any malicious spyware

Those individuals traveling with electronic devices that travel as checked luggage are advised to plan for safe storage of their devices, including the use of TSA recognized locks for their checked baggage.